Call for more information on smoking health risks

With this week focusing on women and cancer a local councillor has spoken out and has called for more information to be made to women about the risks of smoking to their health.

Speaking on Wednesday October 10, SDLP health spokesperson Annie Courtney said: “More must be done to ensure that all women – young and old – have information available on the health risks associated with smoking”.

The call was made following the latest cancer statistics from The Cancer Research Campaign and Imperial Cancer Research Fund which show seven out of ten women are now surviving breast cancer according to latest figures.

But a new report from the two charities shows that, despite the ‘ladette culture’ that exists in modern Britain, over a third of young women say that their mums have not talked to them about breast cancer.

A MORI poll, commissioned for Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) which runs throughout October, reveals that, for a worrying 38 per cent of women between 20 and 35, mum's the word when it comes to discussing breast cancer.

The research shows that the most common sources of information about breast cancer were the doctor (39 per cent), information leaflets (27 per cent) and the television (26 per cent) with mothers trailing in fourth place (24 per cent).

Professor Jane Wardle, Head of Imperial Cancer Research Fund's Health Behaviour Unit, said: "This study suggests BCAM is working. Our survey shows that breast cancer is now talked about more openly and, hopefully, if a woman notices changes in her breasts she would know to seek help quickly from her GP."

"While breast cancer does not normally affect women until later life, it is vitally important for all women to be comfortable with talking about the disease so they can act quickly if they notice any changes in their breasts. It seems women are finding out about and discussing breast cancer at a younger age and this can only stand them in good stead for later life." (AMcE)